Equipping a construction machine with an operator platform structure (which has, for example, a driver's seat, a steering wheel, and further operating elements for controlling the construction machine) which is vibration-decoupled or elastically decoupled in relation to the machine frame in order to reduce the vibration load on the driver or machine operator, respectively, during working operation, is known. For this purpose, the operator platform as a whole is mounted on at least one damping element, for example, a rubber bearing, on the machine frame. A known construction principle provides an operator platform base plate which is connected via multiple damping elements to the machine frame, and which carries the further components of the operator platform structure. In such arrangements, the base plate is mounted particularly frequently via a total of four damping elements on the machine frame. Vibration damping of the operator platform structure is especially relevant in such construction machines in which at least one oscillating or vibrating working device is provided, for example, such as in tandem rollers having at least one exciter device mounted in at least one drum. The vibration decoupling or vibration damping, respectively, is accordingly implemented in such a manner that it at least damps the transmission of the vibrations which are introduced by the exciter device into the machine, to the operator platform structure.
In construction site operation, situations frequently occur in which a construction machine of this type is to be moved from one location to another location. This is the case, for example, for transport purposes and in construction situations having restricted access and/or tight spatial conditions. In particular in the case of smaller construction machines, for example, up to a total weight of less than 6 tons, the lifting and movement of the construction machine, for example, with the aid of a crane or an excavator, has proven to be particularly useful. The corresponding construction machines frequently have a hitch device for this purpose, in particular a transport shackle or the like, to be able to hitch the construction machine to a lifting device, for example, the chain of a crane. Therefore, transport shackles which are screwed or welded directly onto the machine frame, and to which lifting forces can be applied, are known from the prior art. These transport shackles, however, come with the disadvantage that they can frequently only be arranged at positions on the machine frame which are unfavorable with regard to accessibility and/or force introduction. Furthermore, in the case of lighter construction machines, webbing straps connected directly to the machine frame are known, which, however, must be checked regularly for material integrity, which incurs effort and running costs, in particular if a replacement of the webbing straps is required.
In particular the region of the operator platform structure is ideal for the attachment of the hitch device. It is externally well accessible and frequently lies over or very close to the mass center of gravity of the construction machine, so that lifting by means of a single-point suspension is possible. Direct lifting of the construction machine via the decoupled operator platform itself was hitherto not possible, however. Lifting of the construction machine via the operator platform structure always had the result that the operator platform structure hoisted the machine frame via the at least one damping element, so that substantial traction loads of the at least one damping element occurred. This finally resulted in an overload up to the destruction of the at least one damping element. For example, the transport strap was accordingly guided upward through the operator platform structure, the linkage of the transport strap to the construction machine, however, being performed directly on the frame of the construction machine and not on the operator platform structure mounted on the machine frame. The steering support column of the construction machine is particularly ideally suitable for the attachment of the suspension, since it is very well accessible and is additionally located at the mass center of gravity of the construction machine such that it is suitable for a single-point suspension. However, since the steering support column is also fastened in a vibration-decoupled manner on the operator platform structure in regard to the operating comfort, it was also heretofore not possible for the above-mentioned reasons to implement the suspension on the steering support column.
The present invention is based on the object of providing a construction machine of the type described above, which does not have the disadvantages accompanying the prior art or at least only has them to a reduced extent. In particular, an easily accessible and low-wear possibility is to be specified, for coupling a lifting device to a construction machine to lift and move the construction machine.